Three Jackson schools locked down after gunshots heard

JACKSON – A shooting that occurred within earshot of the Holman
Elementary School prompted three Jackson School District buildings to go into
lockdown near the end of the school day on May 30.

The lockdown at the three schools was lifted at 3:25 p.m.,
according to a school district spokeswoman. Travel restrictions remained in
place on several streets, but parents were being permitted to retrieve their
youngsters at the impacted schools.

According to Jackson police, multiple shots were fired in a
residential neighborhood on Laurelton Avenue at about 1 p.m.

Shortly thereafter at the request of police, hundreds of
students in Jackson Liberty High School, the Holman Elementary School and the
Christa McAuliffe Middle School were prevented from leaving school grounds
while an investigation into the incident continued.

“Our goal is to keep the kids safe and happy until we release
them,” district spokeswoman Allison Erwin said.

Students at Holman were reportedly outside the building at the
time of the shooting, participating in annual field day activites. The children
were rushed back into the building following the gunshots.

District officials said the lockdown request from police came
just minutes before Jackson Liberty High School was set to release its
students. Dismissal time at the high school is 1:38 p.m.

The McAuliffe and Holman schools dismiss their pupils at 2:27
p.m. and 2:55 p.m., respectively.

District administrators said that shortly after the lockdown
was put in place, parents were alerted via email and automated telephone
messages of the incident.

Parents were told they were not allowed to pick up their
children from a school until police had cleared the area.

In response to the incident, police closed Manhattan Street and
requested the school shutdown.

No injuries have been reported as a result of the shooting and
police confirmed this was not a school-related shooting.